HTSS23 - Sales training without accountability and consequences is worthless - Scott Sylvan Bell

Training or coaching without accountability and consequences is absolutely worthless.

You will find that most training or coaching goes unused. Salespeople and even sales managers will pick and choose what part of a program they think will work. By not using a full process the training madness circle begins. A trainer is brought in to teach a process that is supposed to work. The team picks what they want to use. The team makes a Frankenstein presentation based upon multiple sources and the deals are not closed.

The company says “hey the deals are not being closed, we need to find another sales trainer”. What it came down to is:

• No expectations are set with the company or the employees
• No consequences were set from not closing deals
• No accountability was put in place or executed upon

The sales team has not other reason to look at the training as full on entertainment. The sales team says “Oh I like that word track, I am going to use that”. The circle ends with another trainer brought in and the cycle starts all over again. The numbers go up and the number go down.  

Once the excitement wears off from the trainer the team pulls back. This is poor management all of the way around.   

Keys to success with a coach or trainer

1. Set expectations for the team and numbers
2. A good coach or mentor can lay out a plan or recipe
3. The accountability conversation needs to be had
4. What does success or failure look like
5. The team must understand what is expected of them
6. The introduction needs to happen and the team needs to be there for the roll out
7. Accountability must happen with the team and it has to be used

Poor salespeople blow the lead because they were not prepared to make the sale. They were allowed to take a lead or an up they never should have been on.

Most managers are scared to offend a salesperson. Managers may not have ever been taught how to have the tough conversation. Salespeople are told to fix the problem but they have too many Frankenstein lessons to learn from.  

Here are a few ways to help a sales team:

• KPI’s (key performance indicators) must be looked at daily, weekly and monthly
• Poor performing salespeople need real training that is consistent
• There must be consequences for not doing the job, what happens next when deals are not closed?
• Coaching, mentoring, side by sides and ride alongs must be used to help salespeople learn how to close deals

Most companies carry way too much dead weight. Companies don’t know how to hire or help the salespeople who cant close. The 80/20 sales rule comes into play and weak salespeople are kept.

Scott Sylvan Bell

@scottsbell

#sales #closer #success #hawaii #accountability 

This episode was recorded on the North Shore of Oahu Hawaii at Hale'iwa Ali'i Beach Park